Differing versions

[Jimmer]

I toyed with this question in another thread, but I really need an answer, so I'm asking here:

If two people (or more) are playing a PBEM game, and they are running different versions, is there any real impact to the game. I don't mean advantages that one power can take over another, but problems that may arise in the data files or something due to the different versions.

I have heard that "Matrix recommends" not doing it, but there's really no choice. I just want to know whether I should drop out of my own tutorial game or not. I don't want to impact the other players, but my main game REQUIRES and upgrade.

[Jimmer]

Oh, and anything you can post that's "official" (i.e. from Matrix) would be greatly appreciated. Links and stuff.

[MarshallEllis]

Jimmer:
 
I have done some research / testing with this just last week and there seems to be no known issues with this.
 
If something were to come up in this area, I will notify you guys!
 
 
 
 

[NeverMan]

I've been playing a few games where I know people are running different versions and I haven't had any problems other than the ones you know of Jimmer, meaning none of my other 3 games (now 2) have had problems.

[Jimmer]

Thanks, guys.
 
NeverMan, thanks, especially. Since you are playing in one of the two games in question, your statement means a lot.
 
I think that I will install the new version. But, just before I do that, I'm going to back up everything and store it in some other location, just in case. It seems logical that, if any corruption can occur, it will happen only in games I am directly connected to. Therefore, it's doesn't seem likely that I can "infect" one of the other players' game copies. At worst, it would cause that game to fold.
 
NOTE: This means I'll be taking my turn tonight. But, GW and I talked last night, and we're going to insert some extra steps, just to be safe. We're going to get to the right point in the game, and then I'll take my land turn. I only had one combat, and I'll reproduce that. However, it was a siege breakin that I failed, so, while I will besiege them, I won't make the roll. That should make my turn exactly as it should be.
 
THEN, GW is going to make another backup for everybody. We'll restart the full game with those backup files. I would guess they'll be out by about 8 PM (Central -- GMT-6+1) tonight.

[NeverMan]

Jimmer,

Since I am no longer playing in the TGHQ group (since they decided to start over and we weren't even a year in and I had only gotten to do 1 land movement in the whole time I was playing as a replacement and they refuse to use a nice functional file site like google groups and they are fairly inflexible) I will also be upgrading to the newest version.

[Jimmer]

I would wait to load up the turn files, though, until GW posts the correct backup versions. Who knows what junk is laying around in those files?

[bresh]

I think it should be noted when you load a pbm file if its not same patch version as your own, and if so what patch it is.(meaning patch info should be included in pbm files).
Some odd bugs, might be explained this way.

And we have to face it, some old patches might allow bug-cheats that are fixed in newer versions.


Regards
Bresh

[Jimmer]

Excellent idea, Bresh!
 
And, actually, when I upgraded, it told me that it had updated that something-or-other from 1.03 to 1.04.05. That same kind of methodology could be used.
 
Further, the game could basically only upgrade the database (game files) if, perhaps, the host upgraded. Or, something like that.

[Jimmer]

Well, guys, I took the plunge. I took the saved game files from August and brought them up on 1.04.05. It warned me that a database change had occurred (one version to the next), and the game became playable again!
 
WOOT!
 
GW then made a saved game copy (resync), and we've all got new files now.
 
CLEVERDEVILS IS RUNNING AGAIN!!!

[NeverMan]

It will be very nice to get back to CleverDevils2, as I consider this my "main" game (or at least I did until it got stopped dead cold by a bug). I can only pray that everyone is still up for it and that this game moves as fast as it once did.